2012 Steel City Motocross | Results

The penultimate round of the 2012 AMA Motocross Championship got underway Saturday at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Pa.

And once again, it was Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey who took the overall win following a 1-1 sweep at the Steel City National. This was the ninth consecutive overall win for Dungey, who secured the AMA Motocross two weeks ago at Unadilla.

In the first moto, Dungey grabbed the holeshot aboard the KTM SX-F 450, and went on to lead every lap. He would take the win by over 30 seconds ahead of Honda’s Andrew Short and Motoconcepts Suzuki’s Mike Alessi.

The second moto was much different, though. Dungey crossed the line in fourth after the first lap, and worked his way pass Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer on the second lap. Two laps later, Dungey passed Jeff Ward Racing Kawasaki’s Josh Grant.

Dungey then began chasing down the leader, Alessi. The two battled, and although Dungey suffered a slight bobble, he finally passed Alessi on the 10th lap. Dungey then lead the remaining four laps to take the Moto 2 win at Steel City.

Joining Dungey on the overall podium was Alessi (3-2) and Grant (4-4).

Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM SX-F 450) says: “It feels great to come out here and win both motos today. I had to work hard to make the pass for the lead in the second moto and take the win. I had a lot of fun here and appreciate all of the fans that cheered me on today. I am looking forward to the final round at Lake Elsinore next weekend.”

In the 250 Class, GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac captured his fourth overall win with a dominant 1-1 outing that tightened the championship heading into the final round of the season. After posting the fastest practice lap of either class earlier in the day, Tomac carried the momentum into the motos. In Moto 1, points leader Blake Baggett grabbed the holeshot aboard his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki, but was passed shortly thereafter by GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia, MX Sports says.

Once out front, Barcia established a solid lead. Tomac worked his way into second by Lap 3, following a fourth-place start, and set his sights on his teammate. The Honda duo set the pace of the moto for the next 10 laps, engaging in a see-saw battle. Tomac gained an advantage on Lap 12 and made the pass stick, closing out the final three laps.

In Moto 2, Tomac positioned himself into the lead early, capitalizing on a good start and leading all 13 laps without any pressure from his rivals. He crossed the line with 10-seconds over field to secure the victory.

Eli Tomac (GEICO Honda CRF250R) says: “It was the best day I could ask for. I came and did what I needed to do, and now I’m within a moto of the points lead. Justin (Barcia) and I definitely got close out there (in the first moto), but we are just trying to chase Blake (Baggett) right now, so there isn’t a lot of tension between us. I’ve gotten good starts (recently), and I think these are the best starts I’ve had all season. I think that’s what the difference was today. I’m one of those guys that likes to get out front early and set that pace.”

Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen finished in the runner-up spot (3-2), while Barcia, who fell to third in the championship standings, rounded out the podium (2-3).

Baggett’s fourth place finish (4-4) helped him maintain control of the standings heading into next weekend’s final round, holding a 14-point lead over Tomac and 18 points over Barcia. This trio along with Roczen, who sits 45 points out of the points lead, enters the final round with a mathematical shot at the title, MX Sports says.

The 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship comes to a dramatic conclusion next weekend with its inaugural stop at Southern California’s Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park. The Red Bull Lake Elsinore National will close out the season on Saturday, September 8, beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern.